POPS IS BACK AND SO ARE LOYAL FANS

SAN DIEGO — Ralph Miller had to shush his wife.

Right in the middle of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol,” Op. 34, Judy Hauser/Miller began talking to a stranger, going on about how appropriate is the choice of Matthew Garbutt as conductor.

A moment later their friend Helen Hillman grabbed a handful of chips, noisily crinkling the huge cellophane bag just as violinist Egor Groupman delicately phrased a solo passage. Another fusillade of shushing from Miller. But this time everyone in their party, including Miller, chuckled at his facetious scolding.

After all, this wasn’t Carnegie Hall or even Symphony Hall, but Hospitality Point in Mission Bay, where the Miller-Hillman group lounged under the nighttime sky on blankets and aluminum lawn chairs. Sitting across a street and about 100 yards away from the stage, they could dip into a cooler for sustenance or tip a handy wine bottle for refreshment as was their wont.

The Millers were part of the 1,715 music fans who attended the opening night of the San Diego Philharmonic Summer Pops concerts. Although the Millers also attended the San Diego Symphony’s more highbrow winter concerts, they and most of those interviewed Wednesday night came to the pops, not for a major dose of culture, but for the combination of popular and light classical fare in an al fresco setting, the food and socializing, not necessarily in that order.

“We’ve been coming for years,” Hauser/Miller said. “We were so disappointed--dismayed--when it looked like there would be no concerts.”

Helen Hillman said the pops are made for family outings, and the $6.50 charge for gallery seats does not break the budget.

“You can expose children to popular music and light classics,” Hillman said. “It’s something other than rock concerts and baseball.”

Ralph Miller, however, doubted that San Diego can support the symphony’s more serious music-making efforts during the winter season. “I don’t think they can make it . . . unless they raise the ticket prices” for the more serious concerts, said Miller, a former winter season subscriber.

Last year’s entire winter concert season was canceled due to financial difficulties that prevented the San Diego Symphony and its musicians from reaching a contract agreement. A pact was signed in May for a 32-week season, beginning this fall. The musicians then announced they would produce their own series of pops concerts this summer.

Seated at a table with a friend, Marilyn Schmitter called the pops “a great escape. It feels good sitting here drinking champagne. You have to have champagne to make it a great experience.”

Up in the cheap seats, Ada Turpen had no champagne but was concerned that the musicians might not get a large enough audience. Turpen and Jean Morgan, two 60-ish women, had brought a guest, a childhood friend, who was visiting from Florida.

Asked why they had come, Morgan said, “We’re loyal San Diegans.” She then whispered conspiratorially, “I’m also here because Matt Garbutt is back. That is the real reason I’m here.”

Garbutt, whose folksy style of patter seems to please pops audiences, conducted only a few concerts last summer. Instead, former music director David Atherton conducted a number of the concerts, which were weighted with more classical fare.

Wednesday a few problems related to the musicians’ first crack at managing the concerts were in evidence. Turpen noticed that the U.S. flag and the California state flag were not flying as usual. And several dozen people streamed into the seating area before gatekeepers and ushers were were present, some perhaps without paying, said pops general manager Lee Ellen Hveem. But Hveem was generally happy with the attendance, noting that “we will make some adjustments” to solve the problems.